The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts and Personal Medical Services Agreements) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2021 No. 995

SCHEDULE 1 Amendment of the National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) Regulations 2015

PART 6 Other minor amendments

References to “additional services”

14.  In regulation 3—

(a) in paragraph (1)—

(i) omit the definition of “additional services”;

(ii) in the definition of “enhanced services”, for “additional services”, in both places it occurs, substitute “minor surgery”;

(iii) for the definition of “minor surgery” substitute—

““minor surgery” has the meaning given in paragraph (6A);”;

(iv) in the definition of “out of hours services”, for “additional services” substitute “minor surgery”;

(b) after paragraph (6) insert—

“(6A) “Minor surgery” means the following services—

(a) making available to patients where appropriate—

(i) curettage,

(ii) cautery, and

(iii) cryocautery of warts, verrucae and other skin lesions;

(b) recording in the patient’s record—

(i) details of the minor surgery provided to the patient, and

(ii) the consent of the patient to that surgery.”.

15.  In regulation 17(1), for “, (9) and (12)” substitute “and (9)”.

16.  For regulation 19 substitute—

“Minor surgery

19.— (1) Subject to Part 6, a contract may provide for the provision by a contractor of minor surgery.

(2) A contract which includes minor surgery must contain a term which requires the contractor to provide such facilities as are necessary to enable the contractor to properly perform that service.”.

17.  In regulation 20(2)—

(a) in sub-paragraph (a)(ii), for “additional services” substitute “minor surgery”;

(b) in sub-paragraph (b)(ii), for “additional services” substitute “minor surgery”;

(c) in sub-paragraph (c), for “additional services” substitute “minor surgery”.

18.  In regulation 30(6)(c)—

(a) for “additional services” substitute “minor surgery”;

(b) for “such services” substitute “that service”.

19.  In regulation 33, for “an additional service” substitute “minor surgery” in each of the following definitions—

(a) “opt out notice”;

(b) “permanent opt out”;

(c) “preliminary opt out notice”;

(d) “temporary opt out”.

20.  In regulation 34, for paragraph (a) substitute—

“(a) minor surgery, or”.

21.—(1) Regulation 35 is amended as follows.

(2) In the heading, for “additional services” substitute “minor surgery”.

(3) In paragraph (1), for “additional services” substitute “minor surgery”.

(4) In paragraphs (2) and (5), for “the additional service” substitute “minor surgery”.

(5) In paragraph (6)—

(a) omit sub-paragraph (a);

(b) in sub-paragraph (b), omit “, in relation to that service,”.

(6) In paragraph (7), for “the same additional service is concerned” substitute “they also concerned minor surgery”.

22.—(1) Regulation 36 is amended as follows.

(2) In the heading, for “Additional services” substitute “Minor surgery”.

(3) In paragraph (3)—

(a) in sub-paragraph (a), for “additional services” substitute “minor surgery”;

(b) in sub-paragraph (b), for “the additional service” substitute “minor surgery”.

(4) In paragraph (6), in the words before sub-paragraph (a), for “the additional service specified in the notice” substitute “minor surgery”.

(5) In paragraph (8)(a), for “the additional service” substitute “minor surgery”.

(6) In paragraph (10), for “the additional service in question” substitute “minor surgery”.

23.—(1) Regulation 37 is amended as follows.

(2) In the heading, for “Additional services” substitute “Minor surgery”.

(3) In paragraph (4), for “an additional service” substitute “minor surgery”.

(4) In paragraph (6), for “the additional service” substitute “minor surgery”.

(5) In paragraph (7), for “the additional service” substitute “minor surgery”.

(6) In paragraph (8), for “the additional service”, in each place it occurs, substitute “minor surgery”.

(7) In paragraph (9), for “the additional service”, in both places it occurs, substitute “minor surgery”.

(8) In paragraph (10), for “the additional service” substitute “minor surgery”.

(9) In paragraph (11), for “the additional service” substitute “minor surgery”.

24.  In regulation 39(2), for “the additional service” substitute “minor surgery”.

25.  Omit Schedule 1.

26.  In Schedule 3—

(a) in paragraph 15(1), for paragraph (a) substitute—

“(a) minor surgery;”;

(b) in paragraph 16, for sub-paragraph (a) substitute—

“(a) minor surgery;”.

Transfer of patient records: time limits

27.  After regulation 69, insert—

“Transfer of patient records between GP practices: time limits

69A.— (1) This regulation applies where—

(a) a patient on a contractor’s list of patients has registered with another provider of primary medical services, and

(b) the contractor receives a request from that provider for the complete records relating to that patient.

(2) The contractor must, before the end of the period of 28 days beginning with the day on which it receives the request from the provider—

(a) send the complete records (other than any part of the records held only in paper form) to the provider via the GP2GP facility in accordance with regulation 69, and

(b) send to the Board in accordance with regulation 67(5A), the complete records, or any part of the records—

(i) for which the contractor does not receive a confirmation, or

(ii) held only in paper form.

(3) In this regulation—

“confirmation”, in relation to records sent via the GP2GP facility, means confirmation of safe and effective transfer via that facility;

“GPG2P facility” has the same meaning as in paragraph (2) of regulation 69.”.